Miyagi AJET has launched a Micro Grant Program in honor of Taylor Anderson intended to “empower JETs with financial support in their efforts to fulfill the goals of the JET Programme in and outside of school.” Read below for full details:

To all Miyagi/Sendai JETs:

Employed directly through Boards of Education and embedded in communities, we JETs have a lot of potential to do great things here in Japan. Many of us invest our personal time, and sometimes our own money, to craft interactive lessons that engage students, to motivate students and spark their interest in English and foreign cultures, to produce quality events educating the people in our communities about our home countries, and more. As the AJET branch for Miyagi and Sendai, MAJET is here to support you in your activities as a JET, and to this end, we would like to announce the “Miyagi-Sendai JET Micro-Grant Program.”

Attached please find a detailed description of the program, outlining it’s goals and how to apply. To put it simply, as Miyagi starts to take it’s formative steps towards recovery from the March 11th disaster, the purpose of this program is to empower JETs with financial support in their efforts to fulfill the goals of the JET Programme in and outside of school.

All too often JETs have great ideas to create language/culture boards at their school, to put on fun events for eikaiwa groups, to put on culture days at the local community center, but find themselves encumbered for lack of even a minimal working budget. There’s only so much that can come out of our own pockets, which is where this program comes in. Whatever idea you may have for doing something that you feel helps meet the goals of the JET Programme (internationalization, cultural interaction, language education, etc.), we want you to tell us about it. If your idea does indeed further the cause of JET, we’ll provide you with money to make it a reality! Initially we have set the range of possible grants to between 2,000 and 10,000 yen, but if you have a particularly good idea, let us know and we will consider going beyond this range.

Even if you are currently engaged in an activity that you already pay for out of pocket, let us know and we may be able to provide you with funding to take this activity to the next level. Please keep in mind that once funds run out, this program will be discontinued, so if you have an idea for things you want to do next spring/summer, let us know sooner rather than later.

In announcing this program, we would like to give special thanks to the family of Taylor Anderson, an Ishinomaki JET who was sadly loston March 11th. During what was undoubtedly a trying time for the Andersons, they decided to honor Taylor’s memory as best they could in supporting the recovery of the community in which Taylor lived, and which she loved. Knowing Taylor’s activities as a JET, the Andersons recognize the importance of the JET Programme towards internationalization and language education at the grassroots/community level in Japan, and see the potential for the JETs of Miyagi and Sendai to be active parts of recovery. It is a result of the Andersons commitment to helping Ishinomaki and Miyagi that the idea for this program was formed, and it is from donations raised by the Anderson’s that the seed money for this program will come.

If you have any questions about this program, or if you would like to brainstorm with us and discuss in more detail the possibility of receiving a grant, please contact us at miyagi@ajet.net

Background: The Great East Japan Earthquake was an unprecedented disaster from which it will take the Japanese people decades to fully recover. Among the many victims of this disaster was JET Programme participant Taylor Anderson. Taylor’s tragic death shook the JET community and the lives of the many people she had come to know in Ishinomaki. However, not wanting to let the bond between Taylor and Ishinomaki fade away, Taylor’s family have taken it upon themselves to directly assist with Ishinomaki’s recovery in a variety of ways, including raising funds for the benefit of the community. Since beginning this fundraising, Andy Anderson, Taylor’s father, has consistently looked for new, creative ways to make significant differences at the grassroots level. Andy contacted the Miyagi Association of JET (MAJET) to discuss how JET participants could assist in this recovery effort, and how they could be empowered to do so. Through this discussion, MAJET and Andy Anderson have established the “Miyagi-Sendai JET Micro Grant Program” (details below).

I. Goals

To honor the memory of Taylor Anderson

To provide financial support to enhance the projects/activities of Miyagi/Sendai JET program participants.

To support foreign language education in the schools in which JET participants are employed as well as the communities in which they live.

To support activities aimed at enriching the awareness and understanding of foreign cultures whether these activities occur in the classroom or in JET participants’ communities.

II. Description of the Grant

The grant is established for use by members of the Miyagi/Sendai JET Programme.

The term of the grant is from November 1, 2011 until July 31, 2012 or until grant money expires, whichever comes first. At the end of this period, if any funds remain, one of two courses of action will be considered.

1) The current MAJET team will discuss with the succeeding MAJET team and with Andy Anderson the possibility of continuing the Micro Grant Program for another year.

2) For whatever reason, should it be determined that the Micro Grant Program will not be continued for another year, the remaining funds will be donated to the Miyagi Prefecture account created for the benefit of 3.11 disaster victims, or alternatively a similar account for the benefit of disaster victims as agreed upon by the current MAJET team and Andy Anderson.

The awards will be determined by each project proposal on its own merit as it relates to the above mentioned goals.

Proposals may be submitted by an individual or a team of JETs.

Funds awarded will range from \2,000 to \10,000. In cases in which the proposed project is found to have particularly high merit, a grant exceeding the amount of \10,000 may be considered in consultation with the MAJET team and Andy Anderson.

Proposed projects and activities may include, but are not limited to the following suggestions:

1) Creating or expanding English language curricula for use in the classroom

2) Purchasing equipment and supplies to enrich culturally related activities inside and outside the classroom (ex. International days at schools, culturally related festivals in the community.)

3) Community service (ex. transportation fees to organize a trip to volunteer in affected areas, rental fees for facilities to hold events etc.)

III. Grant Awarding Process

The participating JET completes and submits to the MAJET team a Grant Application Form via Google documents.

The MAJET team, in conjunction with Mr. Anderson, discusses each application and evaluates it with one of the following outcomes:

2) Considered: the proposed project has merit but requires clarification or revision.

3) Denied: the proposed project does not fulfill the above stipulated goals.

Each participant will receive an email, designating that an award has been approved, considered or denied.

Funds will be paid within 30 days of approval.

Within 30 days of project or activity completion, the JET will submit a report to MAJET detailing the project/activity and its expenses. In the event in which a JET incurs an unforeseen cost, reimbursement of these costs are subject to approval by MAJET and Mr. Anderson. In certain cases, such unforeseen costs will not be compensated or may only be partially compensated.

Any unused funds will be re-submitted to the grant account via post office transfer or to a MAJET representative in cash, to then be added to the grant account.